Herat (Afghanistan), Aug 20: In a devastating accident late Tuesday night, over 70 people, including 17 children, were killed when a passenger bus carrying Afghan migrants collided with a motorcycle and a fuel-laden truck in the Guzara district near Herat city. The collision triggered a massive fire, engulfing all three vehicles in flames.

The bus was en route to Kabul, transporting Afghan migrants recently deported from Iran via the Islam Qala border crossing. According to provincial government spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, all passengers were returnees. Only three passengers survived the inferno.

Local police attributed the crash to excessive speed and driver negligence. The bus first struck a motorcycle before crashing into the truck, which was carrying fuel, causing an explosion that intensified the blaze. Among the deceased were two individuals on the motorcycle and two in the truck.

Footage shared by provincial spokesman Ahmadullah Muttaqi showed the charred remains of the bus and emergency responders battling the flames. Authorities fear the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue.

This tragedy comes amid a surge in migrant returns from Iran and Pakistan, with over 1.5 million Afghans repatriated this year alone, according to the UN migration agency. The accident underscores Afghanistan’s ongoing road safety crisis, exacerbated by decades of conflict, poor infrastructure, and lax traffic regulations.

The incident is one of the deadliest road accidents in Afghanistan in recent years.